1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a pressing iron, more particularly to a pressing iron with an electroluminescent temperature status indicator.
2. Description of the Related Art
A conventional pressing iron includes a soleplate which is heated for ironing fabrics. Different types of fabrics have different ironing temperature limits. As such, conventional pressing irons are generally capable of providing different ironing temperatures to suit the characteristics of the fabric being ironed. Conventional pressing irons further include a number of temperature status indicators to provide a visual indication of the current ironing temperature of the soleplate. In a conventional pressing iron, different temperature status indicators are activated at different times to indicate low-temperature, medium-temperature and high-temperature operation of the soleplate. The temperature status indicator of a conventional pressing iron is usually in the form of a lamp, which has a relatively poor indicating effect due to a relatively small light radiating area thereof, and which has a relatively large electric power consumption.
Therefore, the object of the present invention is to provide a pressing iron with an electroluminescent temperature status indicator to overcome the aforesaid drawbacks associated with the use of lamps for status indication of the operating temperature of a soleplate.
According to the present invention, a pressing iron comprises a housing, a soleplate mounted on a bottom portion of the housing, an electroluminescent temperature status indicator mounted on an outer wall surface of the housing, and a control circuit mounted in the housing and coupled electrically to the soleplate and the temperature status indicator. The control circuit controls heating operation of the soleplate, and further controls light emitting activity of the temperature status indicator.
Preferably, the temperature status indicator includes a number of indicator members, each of which is formed as an electroluminescent plate and each of which is activated by the control circuit to emit light according to operating temperature of the soleplate.